Early History

Mexico began as the Spanish colony of New Spain. However, before the arrival of Spanish explorers, Mexico was home to several indigenous civilizations including the Olmec (800–400 B.C.E.), Monte Alban (250 B.C.E.–C.E. 900), Teotihuacan (100–600), Maya (325–925), Mixtec (900–1300), Toltec (900–1300), and the Aztec or Mexica, who reigned from 1325 until the arrival of Hernándo Cortés (c. 1485–1547) in 1519. Cortés landed with several hundred men in search of gold, silver, and other riches for the Spanish Crown. Despite the fact that Cortés and his men were outnumbered at least 1,000 to 1, the Spaniards were able to defeat the Aztecs because they possessed superior weaponry and brought with them smallpox, typhoid, and measles that decimated the indigenous populations who had no immunity to such diseases.